Building Healthy Relationships

Humans are built to connect with other humans. We weren’t placed on this earth to be alone and creating bonds with other people is extremely beneficial. But, relationships aren’t always positive. With billions of people in existence, it’s impossible to click with absolutely everyone you meet.

So, it’s crucial that you’re able to identify toxic relationships quickly so you can avoid putting your time, effort and energy into them. Some people will cause tons of unnecessary stress, disappointment and sadness. Now, if you’ve unfortunately developed an attachment to that person, it can directly correlate with substance abuse.

The attachment makes it hard to remove yourself from the relationship, so you’ll repeatedly face those negative emotions and use the substance as a coping mechanism. The problem is, too many people fail to recognise a toxic relationship. Some of the warning signs include manipulation, verbal & physical abuse, guilt-tripping, control and blame-shifting.

That’s why we place so much importance on building healthy relationships. Whether you’re battling addiction, recovering from it, or just generally want to maintain sobriety, supportive people are key.

Healthy relationships allow you to confide in someone with complete trust, and have the confidence that they’ll care for, comfort and advise you. At the same time, a healthy relationship should be a two-way street, and the other person should also feel like they can grow and flourish.

If it’s a one-sided affair, the healthy aspect won’t be sustainable. That’s why a strong, healthy bond usually only occurs when both parties are compatible. Sharing common values, beliefs and interests helps with that massively. But, plenty of other factors come into play. For instance, honesty, integrity and respect are vital, because without them growth won’t be possible.

A healthy relationship should involve a set of boundaries that allow both people to feel safe and secure. But, that then requires both people to adhere to those boundaries. It’s no good taking the time to establish boundaries if they aren’t going to be respected. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean a healthy connection can’t be formed.

Ultimately, life is about forging beneficial relationships with people that we’re able to click naturally with. The support and love you’ll receive as part of those is unrivalled. But, don’t forget to watch out for those that don’t have your best interests at heart, because toxic relationships will have the complete opposite effect.